My dad was the king of garlic. I know many people think they own that title, but consider this: My dad thought that a clove of garlic meant the whole bulb. And a ‘clove’ of garlic went into virtually everything he made. He put garlic salt on MELON, for the love of all things sacred. I’m not nearly as extreme but garlic is definitely a major staple of my diet.

If you think your love of Garlic can match my dad’s, perhaps you should head to the Bay Area for the weekend of July 27-29th? One of North America’s stinkiest (and most flavourful) towns is hosting one of North America’s stinkiest (and most flavourful) festivals — the Gilroy Garlic Festival. Don’t eat beforehand because you’ll get to sample some creative garlic inventions, including garlic fries and garlic ice cream. Plus, enjoy live music and demonstrations, all for a $12 admission fee.

But a word of advice: Don’t plan any important meetings (like job interviews or first dates) for at least a couple of days. Trust me on this one.